This invention claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 09-361659, filed on Dec. 11, 1997, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to an automobile lamp used as a back-up lamp or a turn signal lamp and an automobile rear combination lamp including it, and more particularly to a composition and a method of producing the automobile rear combination lamp and the automobile lamp included therein having high color uniformity when it is turned off. The automobile rear combination lamp is comprised of a plurality of automobile lamps, and the color of each automobile lamp differs respectively depending on whether the lamp is turned on or off.
FIG. 7 illustrates a cross sectional view of an automobile lamp 50 of a conventional automobile rear combination lamp. The automobile lamp 50 comprises a housing 52 having an aperture on its front portion, an outer lens 53 covering the aperture of the housing 52, an inner lens 54, and a light source 51. The front surface of the inner lens 54 comprises one or more transparent window portion 56 and an opaque film portion 55, which combine to form a mesh or striped pattern. The back surface of the inner lens 54 has prismatic cuts such that the light emitted from the light source 51 passes mainly through the transparent window portions 56.
When the automobile lamp 50 is used as a back-up lamp, the automobile lamp 50 is required to emit white light. The outer lens 53 and the inner lens 54 are formed of colorless and transparent material. The opaque film portions 55 are typically red, or may be the same color as the automobile body or the bumper. When the light source 51 is turned off, the color of the opaque film portions 55 is perceived as the color of the automobile lamp 50. When the light source 51 is turned on, the color of the light passed through the window portions 56 is perceived as the color of the automobile lamp 50. When the automobile lamp 50 is used as a turn signal lamp, the inner lens 54 is formed of amber material, or the light source 51 may have an amber cap.
An automobile rear combination lamp is a combination of the automobile lamps. Since each automobile lamp 50 has one or more film portion 55 having a color that matches the automobile body, sufficient color uniformity is obtained when the automobile rear combination lamp is turned off, while each automobile lamp 50 performs its own function when it is turned on. When all the automobile lamps are turned off, the automobile rear combination lamp is perceived to have one uniform color in the front view from outside. When any automobile lamp 50 is turned on, the automobile lamp 50 respectively emits light having a predetermined color depending on its function.
The conventional automobile lamp 50 has the following problems. First, it is difficult to have an appropriate proportion between the opaque film portion 55 and the window portion 56 to satisfy both efficiency of the light emitted from the light source 51 and color uniformity of the automobile lamp 50 when the light source 51 is turned off. The opaque film portions 55 prohibit most of the light emitted from the light source 51 from passing through. In order to increase the efficiency of the emitted light from the light source 51, the area of the opaque film portions 55 must be reduced, such that the area of the window portions 56 must be increased. However, in this composition, since the opaque film portions 55 are disposed close to the outer lens 53 the color uniformity of the automobile lamp 50 decreases when the light source 51 is turned off such that the color of the automobile lamp 50 does not match the automobile body. Second, in order to obtain high color uniformity of the automobile lamp 50, the opaque film portions 55 must be enlarged. As a result, since the efficiency of the light emitted from the light source 51 decreases, it is required to use a light source having high luminance accompanying high power consumption.
The present invention is directed to an automobile rear combination lamp and an automobile lamp included therein that substantially obviates one or more of the above problems due to the limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the invention is to provide an automobile rear combination lamp and an automobile lamp included therein having high color uniformity when the light source is turned off, and improved power consumption efficiency.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of producing an automobile rear combination lamp and automobile lamp included therein with the improved properties described above.
According to the present invention, the above objects are achieved by providing an automobile lamp comprising a colorless and transparent light source, a housing whose front portion is an aperture covered with a lens, wherein the housing has a color to be perceived as a color of the automobile lamp when the light source is turned off, and reflecting portions arranged on the inner back surface of the housing to form a mesh or stripe pattern when combined with the remaining portions of the inner back surface of the housing.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an automobile lamp included in an automobile rear combination lamp having a light source, a housing whose front portion is an aperture, and a lens covering the aperture, where the automobile lamp further comprises an inner back surface of the housing having a color that is visible as a uniform color of the automobile lamp when the light source is off, and at least one reflecting portion disposed in a pattern on the inner back surface of the housing.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automobile lamp included in an automobile rear combination lamp having a light source, a housing whose front portion is an aperture, and a lens covering the aperture, the automobile lamp further comprising at least one concave and convex portions arranged in a predetermined pattern on an inner back surface of the housing, at least one reflecting portion disposed on the convex portion of the housing, and an inner wall having a color that is visible as a uniform color of the automobile lamp when the automobile lamp is off and being disposed entirely on an inner side surface and inner back surface of the housing, having at least one slit portion on the inner back surface of the housing in which the reflecting portion is disposed.
In a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automobile rear combination lamp comprising a turn signal lamp, a back-up lamp, and a stop lamp; wherein the turn signal lamp further includes a light source covered with an amber cap, a first housing with a first aperture, a first lens covering the first aperture, and at least one reflecting portion arranged partially in a pattern on an inner back surface of the first housing, the back-up lamp further includes a colorless and transparent light source, a second housing with a second aperture, a second lens covering the second aperture, and at least one reflecting portion arranged partially in a predetermined pattern on an inner back surface of the second housing, the stop lamp further includes a colorless and transparent light source, a third housing with a third aperture, a third lens covering the third aperture, and at least one reflecting portion arranged entirely on an inner back surface of the third housing, wherein the first lens, second lens, and third lens are composed of two or more predetermined colors such that emitted light from the turn signal lamp, the back-up lamp, and the stop lamp have a color depending on the function of the lamp, and an inner side surface and the inner back surface of the housing corresponding to the turn signal lamp, the back-up lamp, and the stop lamp have a color to be perceived as a color of the automobile rear combination lamp when the lamp is off.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.